It's been a difficult few months for Eddie Jones as England's head coach. He's had bad press, bad results, and fans on his back. A few weeks ago, there was rampant speculation that he'd pay for his most recent failures with his job. That storm appears to have cleared for now, and attention has returned to the question of who's going to make his squad for the country's summer fixtures. You'll see plenty of speculation about that elsewhere – including an article or two on this website – but that's not why we're here today. What we want to talk about is a feeling that while the cracks may have been papered over, they still exist – and they're still bothering Jones.
Aside from having to defend his recent performance in his role, Jones has come in for criticism about the time he spends doing consultancy work in Japan. He's not happy that the issue has become controversial, and he's even less happy that the RFU has seen fit to appoint a panel of “rugby experts” to keep the team's performance “under review.” The external perspective is that of an RFU that no longer trusts Jones to work without being observed. It's led to rumours that the “expert panel” – who remain anonymous – are directing the team and giving Jones his orders. Jones has seen fit to tell the press that he's still the only person in charge – which is exactly the sort of thing you'd say if you had reason to suspect that people believe otherwise.
The panel's creation implies that while the RFU didn't want to fire Jones for what happened at the Six Nations, they haven't entirely moved on from England's shambolic performances either. That begs the question of why they've chosen to keep Jones rather than replace him. There are a few possible explanations for that. He might have a large release clause in his contract. It's also possible that the authority didn't believe they could get the right person in to replace him. Maybe they just aren't gamblers. Replacing a coach is always a risk, just as surely as playing the Rugby Star online slots game. If you place a bet and lose when you're playing online slots, you can either give up or spin again. Replacing your coach is the real-life equivalent of spinning again. It results in a new line-up, but it doesn't guarantee a better result. You can rationalise that to yourself when you're busy playing online slots at Rose Slots NZ because the stakes tend to be low. When you're talking about the most important position within the national rugby setup, the stakes are much higher.
Jones recently gave an interview to the Guardian, in which it was put to him that his wings had been clipped. His response was short and terse. Jones said, “there's only one head coach, mate.” He then suggested that he was “using” the experts to provide him with a good coaching environment and that, in a roundabout way, the panel works for him rather than the RFU. That isn't the general understanding that those familiar with the situation have. In the same interview, Jones was keen to point out that he's always happy to listen to good advice and sprinklings of wisdom, but the final decisions are his. He's probably right about the decisions, but he might have to listen to the advice whether he believes there's any wisdom in it or not. He doesn't strike us as the sort of man who likes to be managed or overseen in such a way, so it might not take long before his position becomes untenable. His side's performances this summer might have a lot to do with that.
If the best way to reduce the burden of pressure on his shoulders is to get results, Jones will keep himself busy with trying to ensure that happens. He's recently given us an indication of where he thinks the England side fell short during the Six Nations, and it's all about wings and centres. He's said he wants to find the right talent for those positions, and the way he's talking about the problem suggests that anyone who's played there for England during the past year or two might now find their position coming under threat. Jones wants speed and youth, and there isn't much of that within the most recent squads. The name of Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith has been mentioned multiple times by the press in the past few days, so it looks like he might soon find himself called upon to represent his country. He's unlikely to be the only potential star of the future making his England debut over the summer months. After the misery of the Six Nations, this is now a rebuilding exercise, albeit one with the same construction site manager overseeing the job.
When the decision was made to keep Jones in his role, it felt more like a temporary reprieve than an act of faith. It still feels like he's only one or two bad results from being asked to pack his bags, and a poor performance over the summer would surely be the final nail in the coffin. At the same time, though, the idea of putting a nameless panel of rugby experts in situ to watch over his management of the team seems strange. We can't imagine Sir Clive Woodward ever being asked to work in such conditions, and nor would have he accepted such an imposition. The creation of the panel feels like a half measure towards a sacking, and so it might turn out that the panel was one of executioners rather than experts the whole time. The smart money still says that England will be under new management by the end of 2021. We don't know who that new head coach might be, but we suspect a few candidates have already updated their CVs in preparation. Eddie Jones was once the man of the moment. These days he feels more like the man for the moment, and it's a moment that's passing before our very eyes.
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